State Officials: NOW is The Time To Get A REAL ID



by Alex Lloyd Gross

State and Federal Officials held a press conference today at Philadelphia International Airport to drive home the point that you will need a REAL ID to board an airplane starting May 7, 2025. Your current drivers license is not sufficient.

“Do this Now, NOW is the time to get this done,” said Mike Carroll, Transportation Secretary for Pennsylvania said. People will procrastinate, or they may think they will never get on an airplane so they don’t need one, until they do. People may have to travel for a funeral or a wedding or other occasion. They may have to travel unexpectedly for work.

Penndot officials said the process is simple , you walk into your drivers license center and pay the fee, which starts at $30.00 . Your current license will be prorated . You need a current license, a social security card a birth certificate and two pieces of mail with your current address on it, ( like a utility bill). Therein lies the rub.

Your name must match on the license, birth certificate and social security card. For example, your name is John Q. Public all of the ID must say John Q. Public. If one of those identification types reads John Public, you must get it changed or will will be turned down for a REAL ID. If One reads John Q. Public and another reads John Quincy Public, one of them has to be changed. They all must read the same.

If you need to get this done, it is advisable to visit your local state reps office and have them guide you through the process. Bring your checkbook. The fee is $20.00 check, bank check or money order only. No cash, Venmo or Paypal. Do it now because local offices are starting to get busy pushing these requests through to the state.

If you have an older birth certificate. It is not acceptable. One with baby feet, or a short form is not good for REAL ID. You need an updated one. If in doubt, visit your elected official’s office before you get frustrated at a PENN Dot office.

Your REAL ID is good for four years. If someone is incarcerated past the term of four years, they just have to renew their REAL ID. You will need proof of a name change. Including married people. According to Secretary Carroll, Pennsylvania does not recognize common law marriages. In some cases getting a Passport Card is an acceptable alternative. You will need the same information for this as well.

After May 7,2025, People without a valid US Passport Card , will need a REAL ID to board an airplane. There are no plans to implement this on the railway system. “There will come a time when you need a REAL ID and it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,”Carroll said.